


The Honest to Goddess Truth

by SavageDarling



Category: The Worst Witch (TV 2017)
Genre: F/F, I wasn't as mad about everything but I just had to write this out, spoilers for 3x07
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-12
Updated: 2019-03-18
Packaged: 2019-10-26 18:09:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17750918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SavageDarling/pseuds/SavageDarling
Summary: Mildred and Hecate discuss some of the events that transpired earlier in the show and in 3x07. Mildred actually learns how to speak her mind and is growing into her own. Hecate is very honest and open with Mildred about several things. Also there's a hint of Enid/Maud but just Mildred shipping her mom friend with her dad friend tbh.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> If you've clicked on this be ready for spoilers! Hot take that Indigo Moon wasn't that terrible a plot point. And for everyone saying this isn't the same Hecate, well, yeah! It also isn't the same Mildred or the same Julie Hubble or the same Ada Cackle. The characters change and I understand that we've altered a fundamental part of Hecate's character with this new information but I'm hella intrigued by this. And the plot twist of Mildred being from a non-magical family at the beginning of the show was a big change to Mildred's character but I thought that was interesting too. And while I think there are some glaring holes in season 2 I actually think that season 1 and season 3 hold to this similar feeling for me. Just my opinions, anyway, enjoy!

The day after her mother leaves Mildred stands tentatively at HB’s door, ready to knock. Finally she plucks up the courage and the door shoots open. Mildred does not jump, she might have once upon a time, but things are different now. Everything is different now.

“I needed to ask you some things,” Mildred says, and if there was ever a moment she was unsure now is not that time. 

Hecate does not speak, simply opens the door further and allows Mildred in.

Mildred glances around the room, takes it all in. “I didn’t believe you at first. I don’t think I really wanted to anyway. But she was real.” Mildred turns then, to face back towards HB standing by the door. “You were both real.”

“Yes,” Hecate says. She motions towards the couch and chairs. Mildred curls herself up into one of the chairs and pulls at her plait. Hecate sits ramrod straight against the couch, waits for words to pour out of Mildred’s mouth like they usually do.

But Mildred is not fumbling or stuttering or trying desperately to find sentences. She is strong and sure and her voice is low and it scares Hecate. It reminds her of something quite similar she’d done many decades ago. “I want to know. I want to understand why.”

“There is nothing to understand Mildred. I broke the rules and I faced the consequences. It is as simple…” And Hecate does not finish her sentence.

Mildred does not let her and it strikes both of them that this has happened. “I didn’t mean that. I get consequences Miss Hardbroom, but confinement? And you didn’t even go to Cackle’s Academy, so how have you been confined here for all these years? Why Ms. Hardbroom? Why did you do all those things to Ms. Pentangle and Ms. Cackle and Indigo Moon? Why not tell me of all people the danger I could be in, the danger I could be putting my mum in?”

Hecate’s voice catches in her throat. “I do not deny that once I was childish and did reckless things and paid the highest price for them. I lost my best friend and then the girl I loved Mildred Hubble. Do not think I do not know what I did to Ms. Pentangle and to Indigo Moon. And I have done nothing to Ms. Cackle, quite the contrary. She has sheltered me here.” Hecate pauses, tilts her head towards Mildred. “And I didn’t tell you Mildred Hubble because I thought I had taught you better than to be reckless and stupid.”

“Why do you think I’ll be any better than you?” Mildred shouts, jumping up from the chair and beginning to pace.

“Because I thought I could teach you to be better.” When Mildred continues to pace Hecate continues, voice slow and methodical. “When you first came here Mildred I was entirely against it, I will not lie. The idea of someone with such strong ties to the non-magical world struck me so hard. And for Ada to allow you in so easily after all that I’d gone through hurt worse. And then you were not a good witch and you did not know the code. But slowly you got better and you learned and I thought if I just kept teaching you how to be the best then you couldn’t possibly fail.”

Mildred has tears streaming down her face and Hecate does not know how to properly react in this instance. Suddenly, without warning-which is just the Hubble way- at all, Mildred tosses herself onto Hecate, arms wrapping tightly around her neck and tangling in her hair. 

Mildred’s tears feel wet against her neck and Hecate pulls the girl away to wipe at her tears. “You must not let these things upset you so.”

“You don’t know the way she looked at me,” Mildred choked out through sobs. “Like I was nothing but a blip in her eye. That’s how she looked at me. And she’s the only one who has never thought of me that way, the only one.”

Hecate brushes a tear off Mildred’s cheek and pulls up her chin. “Straighten up Mildred Hubble. And I will have you know I never once thought of you as a blip in my eye. I have always known you hold immense power, which is what terrifies me so.” 

Mildred brushes at her cheeks and attempts to sit straight on the couch beside HB. “What do you mean?”

“Mildred your name means gentle strength and my names mean happiness and goddess of witchcraft. My parents put much stock into my name as your mother did yours. But my names did not match up and so I chose. And when Joy failed me I decided that Hecate, goddess of witchcraft, would be much more suitable to me. So I learned the Witches Code by heart and I steeled off my heart. Joy left with Indigo Moon. Do not let Mildred leave with your mother.”

And Mildred calms down after Hecate’s speech tears finally subsiding. She smiles at HB and says, “What about Ms. Pentangle?”

Hecate, for a lack of a better term, blushes. “I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.”

“Does she know everything that’s been going on at the school the last year? And does she know about Indigo Moon?” Mildred is teasing her but just so slight. She’s also looking for a real answer. 

“Unfortunately I was not lying when I said I cannot leave the premises. It is part of my punishment and has been so for thirty years. So even if I wished to see Ms. Pentangle I would be unable to.”

“Can’t she come here?” Mildred asked quickly.

“She must run a school Mildred Hubble,” Hecate responded flatly. “Have you ever known Ms. Cackle to leave unless she explicitly had to?”

Mildred thinks on this a moment and even stands and begins to pace again. “You mean to tell me Ms. Pentangle doesn’t know anything? The woman you’ve loved for longer than I’ve been alive doesn’t know any of this?” 

“You have to tell her! You can’t go your whole life not telling people you love the truth!” It’s a rush of words tumbling out of Mildred’s mouth aimed very much at multiple people. 

Hecate raises an eyebrow. “And are we just talking about me and Ms. Pentangle?”

Mildred sighs and says, “I’ve spent two years with Enid and Maud either at each other’s throats or worried sick about the other. Maybe honesty will do more than you think.” 

There is silence for longer than either Hecate or Mildred can stand. So Mildred says, “Thanks for everything Miss Hardbroom. I’m really sorry about everything.”

With that Mildred is gone; door closing softly behind her and Hecate is left to her own devices again. She is frightened and she pulls at her dress and then her watch and eventually her hair. The moment she feels a slight tug on her hair she pulls her hands out in front of her and makes a split second decision. 

It’s nearly midnight and who knows what she even wants to say. She takes steady breaths and watches the mirror ring when suddenly Pippa pops up in front of her. Hecate lets out a sigh of relief. 

 

Pippa smiles so bright that Hecate can’t stand it and she says, “Oh Hecate dear! Did we have a scheduled mirror call that I missed?”

Hecate shakes her head and she feels the beginnings of tears prick at the corners of her eyes. She clears her throat and tries to steady her breath. “No, nothing of that sort. I just, well, I must tell you something!” Hecate exclaims at the end.


	2. Mirror turned Reality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hecate and Pippa have an extremely long discussion about everything and Pippa might just be turning a shade of pink similar to her dress.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've kind of been getting away from the worst witch stuff just cause I kind of think the show could be done immensely better and I'm tired of the things these kids do being taken so light(I'm looking at you Ada Cackle for reals). I don't know why I've just kind of felt in a rut these past couple weeks/months with this show and have kind of tried to move on but hey, I enjoyed writing this so there's that.

Pippa is sitting there, giving her a look that is willing and waiting to hear whatever Hecate has to say. And Hecate can't even think of what she was going to say. She opens her mouth to speak and nothing comes out.

And so Pippa speaks. "Hecate, dear, are you all right?" 

Hecate meets her eyes then, feels a single tear fall down her cheek and she chokes out, "I miss you Pipsqueak." It's involuntary and not at all what she means to discuss. Pippa eyes her a moment, face pinking. 

Suddenly Pippa stands and says, "give me just a moment darling," before cutting off the mirror call.

That wakes her up big time and Hecate blinks a couple of times, wipes away the tear that fell, and takes several deep breaths. She stands and the moment she turns away from her mirror Pippa appears by her window. 

She opens her mouth to speak and this time it isn't fear that stops her, no. It's Pippa pressing pink lips against her own. She feels another tear make its way down her face as she kisses back, wholeheartedly. Pippa is pressing fingers against her scalp and Hecate's hands find their way to Pippa's waist. 

They pull back for a moment, foreheads resting together, and Hecate whispers, "I can't tell you how long I've wanted to do that." 

Pippa laughs and replies, "Probably as long as I have, which is a very long time." 

Hecate smiles at her, "If I haven't expressed it already, I do love you." 

There's a moment of pause before Pippa smiles back and says, "I love you too darling." Another pause of silence as they just stand together. Then Pippa breathes out, "So that was what you had to tell me?"

She pulls back from Pippa and sways a bit. Pippa's hands slip out of her hair and onto her arms to steady her. "No," Hecate whispers with tears threatening to spill out immediately. "That isn't at all what I meant to tell you."

"What could be so important other than telling me you love me?" Pippa questions.

"We should sit down," Hecate whispers.

And so they do sit and Pippa explains everything with Indigo Moon and how she turned her to stone by turning her into a witch. She explains how Mildred almost turned her mother to stone. She explains why she turned on Pippa, abandoned Pippa. She explains that as punishment she has been forbidden to leave the grounds ever since. She explains that Pippa could leave and she could not so she cut ties between them. 

Pippa sits there and listens the whole time. Just nods her head every now and then to let Hecate know she's listening and her hands never let go of Hecate's. 

"Pippa, I am still confined to the grounds of Cackles to this day." It is an admission that Hecate has only said out loud to one other person, Mildred Hubble.

She expects many things from Pippa, but the annoyance is not one of them. "Well, then I think I shall have to have a talk with Ms. Cackle about releasing you. Half a lifetime is plenty of time served."

"I turned a girl to stone," Hecate whispers.

Pippa shakes her head. "You did not know that giving a nonmagical girl magic would turn her to stone, and she can be unturned to stone as I don't seem to see anything wrong with Julie Hubble or Mildred would be in here crying her eyes out."

Hecate sighs and pulls away then slightly, brings her hands to her watch. "Why should I not be here as long as Indigo's here?"

"Because the punishment for a child who was unaware of what their actions would do should not have the consequences of an adult thrust onto them. I've sat back and heard of some terrible things your own students have done to you without anywhere near as severe repercussions. Drugging the whole staff with a love potion or drugging you? Blowing up your potions lab on multiple occasions? Stealing the founding stone and its powers?"

Hecate reaches out then, pressing a hand against Pippa's thigh. "Stop," she states shortly. And Pippa abides her wishes. "What if I don't want to leave?"

Pippa puts her hands on either side of Hecate's face, brushing thumbs against her hard cheekbones. "Do you really never want to have the option of leaving?"

It isn't a leading question, not intended to guide her one way. It's an honest question and as Hecate blinks another tear falls. She responds honestly and says, "No. I want to see you. To come to you, or meet you halfway. I've wanted to ever since the spelling bee." 

Pippa pulls her in then, pressing a small kiss to her forehead, and then the tip of her nose, and then her lips. "That's wonderful," Pippa breathes out against Hecate's lips. "But it can wait to be fixed. For now, I just want to hold you and wrap my fingers in your hair."

Hecate laughs as she pulls away and raises an eyebrow. "Is that all you want to do?"

 

"Well," Pippa says slowly. "It's the PG version of what I'd like to do. You'll have to do some serious convincing if you want me to tell you the NC-17 version fo what I'd like to do."

Hecate leans in then and whispers, "Well I can be pretty convincing when I want to be."

And they both laugh then and fall into each other. And Pippa repeats I love you every so often and Hecate justs breathes in all that is Pippa content in the knowledge of whatever is going to happen next, Pippa will be right by her side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed the second chapter and I always welcome comments.

**Author's Note:**

> Leave me a comment or kudos if you enjoyed it! And lemme know how you'd feel about a second chapter. With some Pippa and Hecate hashing it out over the mirror and in person.


End file.
